Casey vs The Cousin
by AceOfSlytherin
Summary: Chuck's cousin moves from Chicago into their apartment complex. It doesn't take a spy to realize that she has a thing for Casey. May be rated T, may be rated M. The guidelines seem to be down at the moment, so I'm erring on the side of caution and rating it M. But that might change. We'll see :)
1. Chapter 1

Adriana took a deep breath and rounded the corner to the courtyard. She froze; Chuck was standing there with two other people—a blonde girl and a very macho-looking man. After ogling the man for a brief second, she shook her head and walked toward them.

"Chuck?"

Chuck glanced over at her, staring at her blankly for a minute before his eyes widened.

"Addie?!"

She grinned, throwing her arms around him. He spun her around, and she laughed.

"What are you doing here?" He asked as he let her go.

"Uh, well, Derek and I broke up like six months ago, so there was nothing keeping me in Chicago anymore, and it's really better for me to be close to HQ, anyway. So I'm moving back."

"That's great! I mean, not the breakup part," he corrected himself, "that really sucks. But it's great to see you again! We really missed having you around."

"I really missed you guys, too."

"Who's your friend, Chuck?" the blonde girl asked.

"Oh, this is my cousin, Adriana," he grinned. "Addie, this is—"

"Agent Sarah Walker. CIA. Potential threat: deadly. Functional threat: not applicable."

Her three companions stared at her as she spoke monotonously, staring at Sarah with a blank expression.

"Uhh, yeahh…." Chuck stared at her quizzically. "And this is—"

"Major John Casey. NSA. Potential threat: extremely deadly. Functional threat: not applicable."

She blinked, and seemed to snap out of a trance. Her eyes flicked over Casey, and she smiled.

"Addie, how do you know all that?" Chuck asked tensely.

Her eyes narrowed teasingly as they shifted to him.

"I know everything."

"E-everything? Everything about w-what?"

"Everything!" she giggled.

Her gaze flicked back to Casey, who was regarding her curiously.

"What?" she asked, tilting her head.

"You look familiar."

She narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. She perked up after about 30 seconds.

"Weap-Con! I go every year, and I know I've seen you there."

Casey's eyebrows shot up.

"You go to Weap-Con?"

"Yeah, I love it," she grinned. "They always have neat—"

She cut off as a scream sounded in the distance. She took off at a sprint.

"H-hey!" Chuck called after her. He ran after her, Casey and Sarah close behind.

A gunshot rang out, and Chuck froze before taking off at a dead run. When they found her, she was crouched down, talking to a teenage girl on the ground. There was a man beside them, laying on the ground clutching his knee as blood gushed from it. The sun glinted off of something silver in Adriana's hand—a gun.

"Addie!"

She looked up, smiling calmly—a stark contrast to her cousin, who was visibly freaking out.

"What—you—how—what—"

"Calm down, Chucky," she sighed, standing. "It's all good."

"Did you shoot him?!"

"Yeah, of course."

Chuck just stared at her.

A cop car pulled up—evidently someone had heard the gunshot—and she helped the girl up off the ground.

Half an hour and a police statement later, the four of them were on their way back to the apartment complex.

"You could've been hurt, you know," Chuck admonished her.

"Oh, please," she rolled her eyes. "I'm more than capable of handling myself."

"But, Addie—"

"I'm fine, Chuck."

"But—"

She growled, glaring at him, and he snapped his mouth shut. Casey chuckled. Chuck glared at him. When Casey shot him a glare of his own, however, he backed down with a docile, frightened expression.

* * *

Well...I feel like my first chapter was kind of awkward...as my first chapters usually are *sigh* Of course, I just started this story like 2 days ago, so I'll smooth it out some. The other chapters get better! Please review/PM and keep reading! I love you all! :D


	2. Chapter 2

"Frick!"

Casey paused, hand on the doorknob to his apartment. He glanced over his shoulder. Adriana was knelt down on the ground, scrambling to pick up her dropped items. He sighed.

"Oh." She looked up at him in surprise as he knelt to help her. "Thank you so much!"

He glanced at her, quickly looking away; she looked like she was about to cry from relief. He settled for a grunt in response. He blinked in surprise as he realized what he was holding in his hands. Several video games—primarily Call of Duty and Halo—and movies: The Terminator, Die Hard, Saving Private Ryan, Kill Bill, The Godfather, Uncommon Valor, Scarface, Full Metal Jacket. And those were just the ones he picked up—looking over at her stack, he saw The Last of the Mohicans, Rambo, The Pianist, Red Dawn, Salò, The Godfather Two, and…Steel Magnolias.

He wasn't one for video games, but her movie collection strongly resembled his own.

"Someone likes violence."

She laughed.

"It's not like that's _all_ I watch," she grinned, "but, yeah, action is my favorite genre."

"Action and Steel Magnolias?" he arched an eyebrow.

"It's a good movie!" she shot back.

"Never said it wasn't," he said, standing up. "It's good, it just doesn't match the rest of your collection."

"True enough," she laughed.

"What are you doing with all these, anyway?"

"Taking them inside. The box broke."

He grunted.

"So, you like Steel Magnolias?" she grinned.

He glared at her, and she giggled.

"Oh, c'mon, I'm just messin'."

"If you tell anyone—_especially_ Bartowski—I'll rip your throat out," he growled.

"I'm good at keeping secrets."

"Good."

"Uh-huh! Soo…what other movies do you like?"

"These ones."

"Well that's predictable," she giggled. "They are pretty awesome movies, though."

"Yeah," he grumbled.

"What's going on, guys?"

"Oh, hey, Ellie," Adriana smiled as her cousin walked through the gate. "I dropped my discs."

"Why didn't you just make two trips?" Ellie asked, eying the stacks.

"Inefficiency!" Adriana cried, her eyes wide in exaggerated horror.

"Uh, ok," she rolled her eyes. "Thanks for helping my ridiculous cousin, John."

He grunted in response.

"I really do appreciate it," Adriana added softly, looking up at him through her lashes.

"Sure."

"Addie, could I talk to you when you're done?" Ellie asked.

"Huh?" she blinked. "Sure."

"Great, I'll leave the door unlocked so just come on in."

"'Kay-'kay."

When Ellie had gone inside, Adriana looked back at Casey. Suddenly her stomach felt like it was in knots.

"Umm," she shuffled her feet nervously. "I can take those."

"And drop them again?" he arched an eyebrow, smirking slightly, and she felt herself blush.

"Point taken," she laughed self-consciously.

She somehow managed to get the door to her apartment open without dropping her stack of disks. She set the stack on the glass coffee table, and Casey followed suit.

"Thanks for your help," she said, smiling shyly up at him.

The shyness in her expression caught him off guard.

"Sure."

"Um…." She hesitated, lacing her fingers together in front of her chest and staring at her feet.

"What?"

"Um, well," she shuffled nervously, "Sarah and Chuck call you Casey, so I've been…but, um, can…can I call you John?"

He blinked; that was it?

"Sure."

She looked up at him with a sweet smile that, once again, caught him off guard.

"Cool," she giggled, walking back out into the courtyard with him.

He surprised her by walking with her to Ellie's door.

"Thanks again, John. Good night."

"Night."

She sighed as she slipped through the door.

"There you are," Ellie came down the stairs as soon as the door clicked shut. "Ready to talk?"

"Yeah, what's up?"

Ellie stopped in front of her, her eyebrows raised.

"John?"

"Huh?" Adriana blinked.

"You like John."

"W-wha?" Adriana blushed.

"C'mon, Addie, don't hold out on me!" Ellie begged, grabbing Adriana's hands.

"Uh, y-yeah, I…guess I kinda like him," Adriana admitted.

"I knew it!" Ellie squealed, throwing her arms around her cousin.

"Gah-! Why are you so excited?" Adriana asked, confused. "It's not like we're dating."

"Not yet!"

"Ellie!" Adriana groaned. "No plotting!"

"But—"

"No!"

#

Casey sighed as he stared up at the ceiling, unable to sleep. His thoughts wandered to the way Adriana had acted earlier—his thoughts had been straying to her all night. He'd been blaming it on Bartowski's incredibly boring life—the hours he'd spent watching the geek were agonizing. Now, though, he couldn't blame it on Bartowski.

She'd been shy. Adriana was _not_ shy—that had been made very apparent over the week she'd been there—yet she definitely had been shy when they were in her apartment.

_Kinda cute…. Such a sweet girl..._

He growled and rolled over.

_What am I doing?_

He had no need for a relationship. That'd be a good way to get hurt. Relationships were hard enough for normal people, much less for spies. Especially a relationship between a spy and a civie. He'd learned that he hard way.

When Ilsa died—or, rather, when he _thought_ she'd died—he had sworn to himself that he would never get involved again. That wasn't to say he'd sworn off all contact with women, of course; he was still human. He was no stranger to one-night stands. But never again would he be in a relationship. Never again would he become emotionally invested.

Or so he'd thought.

#

"Hey, guys!"

Adriana bounced out of her apartment, approaching the trio.

"Morning, Addie," Sarah and Chuck greeted her simultaneously.

"Yo!" she grinned. "Hey, you guys wanna come over for dinner tomorrow? Like around 6-ish?"

"That sounds great," Sarah smiled.

"You have no idea!" Chuck grinned. "Even when we were kids Addie was a great cook!"

"I can find my way around the kitchen," Adriana shrugged.

"Well I'm _really_ looking forward to it," Chuck said enthusiastically.

"Thanks, Chuckles," she laughed.

Chuck just grinned back at her.

"Um, what about you, John?" she asked semi-shyly. "Can you make it?"

He just nodded, and she grinned back at him.

"Yay!" she giggled.

His eyebrows rose slightly—he seemed amused.

"Well, I need to get going," Sarah said. "I'll see you guys tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow, Sarah," Adriana said, giving her a hug.

"Casey likes quiche," Sarah whispered in her ear.

Sarah and Adriana had become fast friends over the past week. And evidently Ellie wasn't the only one who could tell when Adriana had a crush.

"Thanks," Adriana whispered back, grinning at her as they pulled apart.

As Sarah walked out of the courtyard, Adriana's eyes were on Casey's retreating form. When his door closed behind him, she turned on her heel and started toward her own apartment.

"Since when do you call Casey 'John'?" Chuck asked.

She paused, glancing back at him.

"We don't live in Japan, you know," she said. "This is America, where people tend to go by their first names."

"Yeah, but you've been calling him 'Casey' up until now."

"Why does it matter what I call him?"

"I dunno," he shrugged. "You tell me."

She sighed.

"It _doesn't_. I'll see you tomorrow, Chuck."

She walked away, hurrying into her apartment. Locking the door behind her, she plopped down on the couch and set to work planning.

* * *

Well, I, for one, think chapter two is much better than chapter one. I hope you agree with me! I really, really value your input, whether through a review or PM. I love you all! :D And I'll love you even more if you give me feedback ;D


	3. Chapter 3

_Click! Click! Click!_

Each click of the empty barrel was the sound of death drawing nearer and nearer. Casey's barrel was empty. He'd taken three bullets to his left arm. The blood loss was making him lightheaded, and he could tell he was getting close to losing consciousness. He was already stuck sitting on the floor, too weak—he _hated_ that word—and dizzy to stand. Walker and Bartowski were caught and tranqued, bound up in the corner of the room. Across the room, a gun pointed in his direction. He wasn't sure if it was loaded with bullets or tranq darts, but it didn't really matter, anyway—he couldn't do anything about it.

_So much for dinner at Adriana's tomorrow._

Why was she the last person he thought about?

_Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!_

He didn't flinch. He couldn't stop his heart from skipping a beat, but he didn't let it show. His internal panic, however, quickly morphed into confusion as he realized he was alive, conscious, and, most surprisingly, had not been shot. The man across the room slumped to the floor. The next thing he saw was a pair of long, smooth, very attractive legs directly in front of him. He looked up.

"Adriana."

He stared at her in shock as she stuck her gun back in the holster clipped to her shorts. She knelt down beside him.

"John," she smiled softly at him.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, wincing as she touched his arm.

"Saving you," she replied.

"Walker and Bartowski—"

"My men are on it."

"What—?" He stopped at the sight of two men carrying his teammates out of the room. He looked at her questioningly.

"I'll explain later," she said. "Right now we need to get you out of here and your arm taken care of."

He was weak and could barely see straight, much less walk straight, and he had no idea how she supported his weight so effortlessly—although certainly not short at 5'9", she was still a girl with a small frame. He would have expected her to at least struggle a little, but she didn't. At the very least, it didn't show.

#

"How'd you know about Castle?" Casey asked, watching Adriana start on his stitches.

They were sitting in Castle. She had already removed the bullets from his arm, and he was feeling more alert after being hooked up to a blood transfusion and I.V. Chuck and Sarah were still passed out in one of the unlocked cells.

"Same way I knew you were NSA," she smiled up at him. "I know everything."

He gave her a look, and she sighed.

"Well, if you can be trusted with the Intersect, I guess I can trust you with my secret, too."

He tilted his head back, regarding her curiously.

"There's…not really a name for it, but I have something similar in my head. I was in an accident when I was a kid, and Dad did something to my brain when I was out. If there's documentation of something, it's in my head."

"Huh."

He stared at her, processing her words.

"So you know everything about me."

"Well, no. I can control it. When I met you I looked into you a bit, but I stopped. The only thing I know about you before the NSA is your birth name."

"Why did you stop?"

She looked up at him.

"Because I respect your privacy. I don't need to know about your past. If I ever learn those things, it will be because you willed it."

She went back to his stitches, and he watched her in silence for a few minutes.

"So what do you do with all this information?" he asked, breaking the silence.

She glanced up at him with a smile.

"I help people. I'm a spy, too—I just don't answer to any one agency. I own a freelance company, and I also work with the government. I pick my missions. Sometimes I get requests from the directors, but I'm never obligated to accept."

She finished his stitches and sat back.

"You're done," she smiled at him. "You really should take it easy for a while, though."

He grunted discontentedly, and she grinned.

#

"Did you do anything but cook today?" Chuck asked, staring at the food spread across Adriana's dining room table.

"Of course," she grinned. "I went shopping for the ingredients."

Chuck sighed, rolling his eyes. Sarah laughed. Even Casey let out a chuckle.

"You're not allowed to roll your eyes at me, Chuckles," Adriana said. "I cooked for you!"

"Yeah, right, you did it for me—oof!"

Adriana whacked him in the chest. He winced, and Casey chuckled.

"Nice shot."

"Thanks," she giggled, smiling up at him.

"You ok, Chuck?" Sarah asked.

"I think she broke a rib," he whined, rubbing the spot he'd hit.

"Don't be a baby," Adriana rolled her eyes. "I didn't even hit you that hard!"

"I don't think you realize your own strength, Addie."

"Whatever," she shrugged. "You wanna eat or not?"

"Yes, please!" Chuck said, rushing into his seat.

As they were eating dessert, Adriana stood and stepped back into the kitchen. She pulled a stool to the corner and stood on it, digging around in the cabinet.

As Chuck and Sarah continued eating, Casey's eyes locked on the leg of that stool.

It was wobbling.

A lot.

He jumped out of his chair, startling Chuck and Sarah.

Adriana gasped as she fell backwards suddenly. She tensed, expecting to land on the hard tile floor, and just hoped she didn't hit her head.

She suddenly realized she'd stopped falling. And she was still upright. Her back was pressed against something warm and firm, an arm wrapped tightly around her waist.

She looked up over her shoulder. She felt her face heat up as her eyes met those beautiful blue ones she'd grown so fond of.

They stared at each other silently, Casey's good arm wrapped around her waist and her back pressed against his chest, for several seconds, during which Chuck and Sarah made themselves very busy with their dessert.

They were jolted back to reality when Chuck dropped his spoon.

Casey set her on her feet.

"Thanks," she said softly.

He grunted.

"What were you looking for?" Chuck asked as she and Casey returned to the table.

She held out the bottle in her hand.

"Sprinkles!"

* * *

Ha, ridiculousness. Gotta have sprinkles!

So, FYI, Adriana is the same age as Chuck, so Casey is 10 years her senior (Chuck was born in 1981, Casey was born in 1971-because he was 23 in 1994, when he was training with Ty Bennett). Just FYI :)

Anyway, thanks for reading! Am I the only one who feels like the chapters are getting better?

Reviews and PMs are VERY VERY welcome! :D

Love you guys! :D


	4. Chapter 4

"What are you doing?"

"Drawing," Adriana mumbled, not looking up as Chuck sat beside her at the fountain.

"Drawing what?" he asked, peering over her shoulder. "Whoa-it's Casey!"

"What about me?"

Adriana glanced up briefly as Casey came out his door.

"Oh, uh," Chuck stammered, unsure how to respond, "well-"

"I'm drawing a picture of you," Adriana said casually.

"Really."

"Yup. I'm almost done, if you want to see it."

Casey stood in front of her, watching her hand fly across the page. A few minutes later, she set her pencil down and handed him the sketchbook. His eyebrows shot up.

"Huh."

"Good, isn't she?" Chuck grinned proudly, putting an arm around his cousin.

"Yeah."

"Thanks!" she beamed up at him.

"Is that a new sketchbook?" Chuck asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "There are only two pictures in it."

"Can we see the other one?" he grinned.

"Sure."

Casey flipped back to the previous page. He arched an eyebrow, looking at her with an amused expression. She grinned back at him. He handed the sketchbook to Chuck, who looked at it for a moment before looking at Adriana quizzically.

"Is that Casey?"

Blue eyes, suit, gun, and a speech bubble saying "Grr." Who else could it be?

"Yep, it's a chibi," she nodded. "Cute, isn't it?"

"Yeah," Chuck agreed. "Makes it hard to believe it's Casey."

Casey glared at him. Adriana rolled her eyes.

"You're a dork, Chuckles."

"Says the girl with a sketchbook full of Casey."

"Two pictures hardly counts as 'full'," she countered.

"You-"

"Get lost, Bartowski," Casey growled suddenly.

Chuck looked at him with a frightened expression for half a second before taking off.

"Idiot."

"Bad day?" Adriana asked, looking up at Casey.

"Just sick of his rambling."

"I'm so used to it I barely notice half the time," she laughed. "So where you headed?"

"Huh?" he blinked. "Oh. Nowhere in particular. Just bored."

"Hmm," she checked the time on her phone, then looked up at him. "Wanna grab some lunch? I'm bored of drawing."

"Sure."

"Cool!" she grinned. "Gimme just a sec."

She dashed into her apartment. When she came back a minute later, she had swapped her sketchbook for her purse. As she was locking her door, she heard Ellie's voice from behind her.

"Hey, guys!" Ellie said. "Going out?"

"Yeah, we're heading out for lunch," Adriana replied with a smile.

Casey just nodded in confirmation.

"Oh, well I won't get in your way," Ellie smiled. "Have fun!"

Adriana sighed as she and Casey walked toward his Vic.

"Somehow, I think she meant more than the literal interpretation of 'going out'," she said.

"I think so, too."

#

Casey paused the movie; there was shouting coming from the courtyard. He put his headphones on and turned to the monitor.

Adriana.

She was standing by the fountain with some guy–some scrawny punk–arguing.

"Go home, Derek!" she yelled.

_Derek?_

Casey blinked.

_Ah. The ex.  
_  
"Not until you agree to come back with me!" Derek shouted back at her.

"I'm never coming back!" she snapped. "I don't want anything to do with you! I never want to see your face or hear your voice ever again!"

Derek slapped her.

Hard.

Casey snapped. Half a second later, he was barreling out the door with a murderous expression.

Adriana clenched her fist and jaw, channeling all her willpower into her efforts not to kill Derek.

_Whack-thud!_

Her head snapped up. Derek was sprawled out on the ground. Casey was standing in front of her, his chest heaving as he glared sharply at her ex-boyfriend.

"John."

Casey turned back to her, his expression softening slightly.

"You ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," she nodded.

A groan snapped their attention back to Derek. He slowly pushed himself upright looked up at them with a glare.

"What the-"

He stopped when he caught sight of Casey.

"Get out of here," Casey growled.

Derek's eyes widened. He scrambled to his feet and scurried out of the courtyard.

"Thanks," Adriana smiled up at him. "I don't think he'll be back."

"He won't, if he knows what's good for him."

She giggled.

"Was that Derek?" Ellie asked, walking in with Devon and Chuck.

"Yeah, he tried to make me go back to Chicago with him," Adriana said. "Even got physical."

"He hit you?" Devon asked, his eyes widening.

"Yeah, but John took care of it," she smiled. "Derek's nose looked like it was completely crushed. Jaw might've been broken, too."

"Remind me never to make him mad," Devon said to Ellie.

Ellie just rolled her eyes.

"Thanks for taking care of her, John," she said. "You seem to always pop up right when she needs a hand."

"I heard them yelling," he explained.

"You could hear us?" Adriana's eyebrows shot up.

"Yeah. Over my movie."

"Oh, wow," she laughed sheepishly. "Sorry for interrupting."

"Eh."

"You would've pounded my face in if_ I_ interrupted your movie," Chuck grumbled.

Ellie looked at her brother with an alarmed expression.

"He's exaggerating," Adriana explained. "He just means that I'm John's favorite. Right, Chuck?"

"Yeah," Chuck nodded hurriedly.

"It's only natural, given my adorableness," she tilted her head with a cheeky grin.

Casey didn't deny it.

#

Chuck shuffled nervously on the front step. He took a deep breath and rapped on Casey's door. The door swung open a second later, and Casey appeared, hand behind his back.

The knowledge that Casey was packing did _not_ help his nerves.

"What?" Casey asked impatiently.

Chuck took a deep breath as Casey glared at him.

"Stop being a coward," he said hurriedly.

Casey's eyebrow rose, and then his eyes narrowed irritably.

"What did you say?" he growled.

"Um, s-stop being a coward," he repeated timidly.

"That's what I thought."

Casey shifted, and Chuck flinched, throwing his arms up in front of his face.

"Don't hurt me!"

Casey crossed his arms and tilted his head back, suppressing the urge to roll his eyes at Chuck's cowardice and stupidity. He just stared down at him. Chuck relaxed slightly and went on to explain. The first sentence out of his mouth made Casey's heart stop.

"As weird as it is to think about you dating my cousin—and I mean, that's a _really_ disturbing thought—" Chuck took a deep breath, "she likes you."

Casey's head tilted slightly and he continued to stare silently at Chuck through narrowed eyes.

"And as weird as it is to think about my cousin being attractive," Chuck continued, "I'm aware of the fact that she is. And you _know_ she likes you—you'd have to be _incredibly_ dense not to. And you're not doing anything about it."

Casey growled. To the surprise of both men, Chuck barely flinched.

"The only explanation I can come up with is that you're afraid," Chuck went on. "But Casey, you could have an actual _relationship_ with her. I don't know how often spies get that chance, but it can't be often. But Addie—you guys could do it. She's a spy, too, so she understands the complications that come with it. She has clearance—really high clearance—so you wouldn't have to keep secrets and lie to her. And if you did have to, she'd get it. And you wouldn't have to worry about endangering her because she's used to dangerous situations. She's understanding and adaptable and strong and good at keeping secrets. So stop being a coward."

"Are you done?"

Chuck sighed.

"Yeah, I'm done."

"Hm."

The door closed in his face.

Chuck's shoulders dropped. He sighed sadly and shuffled away.

* * *

Aww, Chuckles! I love him-how can you not love him? :D

Aaaanywho, thanks for reading! :D I hope you enjoyed it! Reviews, PMs, and followers keep me writing! :D

I love you all!


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry, guys, it starts out as a songfic. It's only the first section, though, so please endure it! And there is narrative in between the sections of song, so you really should read it if you can mentally survive it, but if you just can't deal with a songfic you won't miss anything TOO important if you skip it.**

**Ok, read on! :D**

* * *

"I'm tuggin' at my hair, I'm pullin' at my clothes

I'm tryin' to keep my cool, I know it shows."

Adriana was sitting at the fountain, just starting her song when Chuck, Sarah, and Casey walked into the courtyard.

"I'm starin' at my feet, my cheeks are turnin' red  
I'm searchin' for the words inside my head."

The trio stopped at the fountain, gathered around her to listen as she strummed her guitar.

"I'm feelin' nervous  
Tryin' to be so perfect  
'Cause I know you're worth it  
You're worth it, yeah."

As she glanced at Casey, Adriana felt the full impact of the lyrics, and her heart skipped a beat.

"If I could say what I want to say  
I say I wanna blow you away  
Be with you every night  
Am I squeezing you too tight?"

Adriana was not the type to get stage fright; she loved to perform.

"If I could say what I want to see  
I want to see you go down on one knee  
Marry me today  
Guess I'm wishin' my life away  
With these things I'll never say."

She barely noticed Chuck and Sarah were there-she could play for a huge crowd and barely notice them.

"It don't do me any good, it's just a waste of time  
What use is it to you what's on my mind?  
If it ain't comin' out, we're not goin' anywhere  
So why can't I just tell you that I care?"

But Casey's attention made her nervous, her heart pounding in her chest.

"'Cause I'm feelin' nervous  
Tryin' to be so perfect  
'Cause I know you're worth it  
You're worth it, yeah."

Sarah glanced over at Casey, who was staring intently at Adriana.

"If I could say what I want to say  
I say I wanna blow you away  
Be with you every night  
Am I squeezing you too tight?"

Adriana's eyes caught Sarah's, and Sarah smiled.

"If I could say what I want to see  
I want to see you go down on one knee  
Marry me today  
Yes, I'm wishing my life away  
And these things I'll never say."

Adriana felt her emotions bubbling up as the song slowed down.

"What is wrong with my tongue?  
These words keep slippin' away  
I stutter, I stumble  
Like I've got nothin' to say."

Sarah grabbed Chuck's arm.

"'Cause I'm feelin' nervous  
Tryin' to be so perfect  
'Cause I know you're worth it  
You're worth it, yeah."

Sarah led Chuck away, leaving Adriana and Casey alone in the courtyard.

"Yes, I'm wishing my life away  
But these things I'll never say."

Adriana wasn't sure if she was glad to be alone with him or not.

"If I could say what I want to say  
I say I wanna blow you away  
Be with you every night  
Am I squeezing you too tight?"

She looked at him, and he stared back at her.

"If I could say what I want to see  
I want to see you go down on one knee  
Marry me today  
Yes, I'm wishing my life away  
But these things I'll never say  
These things I'll never say."

She held his gaze as she ended her song. Continuing to maintain eye contact, she set her guitar down.

Casey sat down beside her silently, staring down at the ground. She watched him. They sat in silence for a few minutes.

"You ok?" she asked, breaking the silence.

"I'm fine."

She looked at him quietly. He seemed deep in thought, worried about something. She lightly rested her hand on his knee. He stared at her hand for a minute before placing his own over it.

She smiled softly.

Casey wasn't sure how long they sat like that. He was lost in thought until something suddenly pressed against his arm. He looked down; Adriana had fallen asleep. He brushed her hair back over her ear and just watched her. She looked so small and defenseless, in contrast to her usual vibrancy.

"Hey, John. What-" Ellie froze as Adriana came into view. "Oh. Did she just fall asleep out of nowhere?"

"Yeah."

"Wow, I haven't seen her do that since she was six. She must feel really safe around you."

He looked up at her quizzically.

"Um, when she was six...there was an accident. She won't admit it, but she's never really recovered. She has a hard time falling and staying asleep, and she suffers from frequent night terrors."

"She mentioned that she was in an accident when she was a kid," he said, looking down at her thoughtfully.

"She told you?" Ellie's eyebrows rose. "That's surprising. She doesn't really like to talk about it. I don't think any of her boyfriends have known."

"Hm."

"John..."

"Huh?" he looked back up at her.

"I know she seems really strong, and in a way she is, but...she's also really fragile. You know, emotionally. She's more vulnerable than she lets on. So...handle her with care."

He stared at her for a second before giving a small nod. Ellie smiled.

"I have a key to her apartment, if you want to take her inside."

"Yeah."

"I'll grab it."

She went into her apartment, leaving him alone with Adriana again. He stared down at her sleeping form. Normally he'd have a hard time thinking of her as vulnerable-even when she acted shy she was confident, and she was usually bold and energetic. But looking at her sleeping against his side, it was surprisingly easy to see. She was like a completely different person.

Ellie came back with Adriana's spare key. She grabbed the guitar, and he scooped Adriana up into his arms.

Ellie waited by the door while he carried her into her bedroom. He pulled the blanket up over her, brushed her hair out of her face, and stole one last look at her sleeping face before leaving.

#

Casey flopped down on his bed with a growl. Bartowski's words from the night before had been playing over and over in his head from the moment he'd closed the door in his face. He'd been wrestling with it for 24 hours. The resolutions he'd made in the past had already been going head-to-head with what he wanted now. After Bartowski showed up at his door, though, the tables had started to turn. After fretting all day, as he lay in bed his internal war finally came to an end. He came to a conclusion.

He would never, _ever_ admit it out loud.

Bartowski was right.

* * *

Ok, so generally I do NOT do songfics. I did them when I was like 12, but I've since outgrown it. But I was listening to music and that song was just so PERFECT for this! SO I made an exception :)

If you don't like it, I apologize, but please take some solace in the knowledge that I don't do songs often :)

Aand, I could really use some feedback, guys! I can see that people are reading this, but I have no idea if you guys are enjoying it! I would love to hear all the things you guys do and don't like about it! I can't improve if I never get any feedback.

So, anyway, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! And please please please review/PM! And followers are great, too :)

I love you guys!


	6. Chapter 6

It took all his willpower to walk, not run, from his Crown Victoria to Adriana's sleek red sports car.

"Need a hand?"

She looked up at him and immediately broke out in a grin.

"Hey, John!" she beamed up at him. "A hand would be great."

He grabbed some of the grocery bags from her car. As he was reaching for more with his left hand, she grabbed his wrist.

"I said _a_ hand, John," she said seriously. "You're supposed to be taking it easy with that arm."

"I can carry a few shopping bags."

"Please," she insisted. "It'll make me worry."

He stared at her for a minute before sighing.

"Fine."

The smile was back on her face in an instant.

#

Casey growled and turned off the T.V. He was too busy beating himself up to stay focused on it for more than a few seconds.

_Coward!_

He'd had the perfect opportunity to ask her out, and he choked.

_You've been shot, stabbed, beaten, and tortured, and stayed strong through it all—and you can't ask a girl out?_ He berated himself. _Little teenage boys do that!_

"That's it," he growled, pushing himself out of his chair and heading for the shower.

Half an hour later, he was out in the night air, standing on her doorstep. He knocked, and the door opened a few seconds later. To his puzzlement, however, there was no one there. He hesitated for a split second before stepping in. The door closed behind him on its own.

"Hey, John!" Adriana came down the stairs, clad in a tank top and skinny jeans. The way her clothes clung to her did nothing at all to quell his nerves.

"How…?"

"Chuck's not the only one who's good with technology," she grinned, fiddling with the end of her braid as she walked closer. "There's a camera that feeds to my laptop upstairs, and I can open and close the door with the tap of a button."

"Huh."

"Yep. But I'm guessing you didn't come here to talk about my random talents."

"No," he said slowly, looking around.

"So what's up?" she tilted her head.

He stared at her and took a step closer. She stared back at him unblinkingly, head tilted cutely to the side, waiting for him to speak.

Her eyes widened when, instead of speaking, his lips pressed softly against hers. Her eyes slid closed, her hand coming up to rest on his chest as she timidly returned the kiss. She could feel his heart pounding under her palm, matching her own racing heart. He broke the kiss for a split second before leaning back in, his hand moving down from the back of her head to her hip. He gently pulled her closer, and her arms wrapped around his neck as she lost herself in the deep, slow kiss.

Eventually they returned to earth, breaking the kiss. They stared into each other's eyes, chests heaving as conscious thought gradually returned to them. After a few minutes of silence, broken only by their heavy breaths, he finally spoke, his voice barely above a gruff whisper.

"I came to ask you out."

She blushed, a pleased smile curving her lips up delicately.

"I'd love to go out with you, John," she said softly.

He smiled and pressed another soft, brief kiss to her lips.

"Dinner?" he suggested.

She grinned.

"Give me, like, five minutes to make myself pretty."

He arched an eyebrow.

"You're already pretty."

"Five minutes," she giggled, heading back up the stairs. "Make yourself at home."

His heart had finally stopped hammering when she came back down the stairs, making it start racing once again. She'd swapped her jeans for a simple dress—light blue, sleeveless, reaching her mid-thigh—and her hair was down from its braid, falling to her mid-back in soft waves. He stared blankly at her as she slipped on a pair of wedge sandals. She smiled.

"Like what you see?"

He blinked, her voice snapping him back to reality. A slight smile played across his lips.

"Yeah."

She blushed, not having expected such a blunt answer—although she shouldn't have been surprised, since this _was_ Major John Casey she was talking to.

#

Standing on Adriana's doorstep, both spies were completely lost in their kiss. When hurried footsteps sounded suddenly, Casey's hand whipped toward his gun. His fingers had just wrapped around it when Adriana spoke.

"It's just Ellie," she whispered breathlessly.

He relaxed visibly, not even thinking to doubt her.

"Why was she in such a rush?" he asked. He was only slightly suspicious, but his spy training wouldn't let him let it go until he was positive there was no danger. And he _really _wanted to let it go so he could get back to enjoying Adriana's company.

"Probably because she saw us," she giggled.

"Mm."

That was good enough for him. He pressed his lips against hers once again.

#

Adriana woke with a smile on her face. The night before was definitely the best date she'd ever been on. Dinner was the perfect combination of relaxed atmosphere, good food, and great company. As gruff as he seemed on the outside, he was surprisingly sweet and gentlemanly—she literally had not been allowed to touch a door, whether it was to the car or the building. She'd never been treated so well on a date. Even when he kissed her goodnight he was respectful and gentle.

She was sure there were very, _very_ few people who would ever describe John Casey as gentle. It was a word that, generally, was the complete opposite of him. But not when he kissed her. It was soft and sweet, and he wasn't at all demanding or forceful. He hadn't pushed for more, or complained about parting at the doorstep. Her history of dating immature jerks and losers had deprived her of such perfect kisses. She'd never enjoyed a kiss so much.

She sighed happily and rolled out of bed. Her smile stayed plastered on her face throughout her shower and breakfast. She practically skipped out the front door.

She locked the door behind her, and when she turned back around her face lit up.

"John!"

He'd just exited his own apartment, and they reached the fountain at the same time.

"Adriana," he smiled faintly.

He leaned down to kiss her, and she reached up to meet him half way, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. As their lips brushed in a brief kiss, a door slammed closed. They both turned their heads to find chuck standing on his doorstep with a stunned expression.

"What do you want, Bartowski?" Casey snapped.

"Uh, n-nothing!" Chuck stammered.

Adriana laughed. Casey's irritated expression softened ever-so-slightly as he looked at her from the corner of his eye.


	7. Chapter 7

"Please leave me alone," Adriana sighed.

"You still owe me a kiss."

"I don't owe you crap!" she snapped.

"You know you want to."

She growled, clenching her jaw and fist. Ever since she'd set foot in the Buy More, it had been a constant onslaught of creepy guys trying to kiss her. She'd had enough. She was about half a second away from slamming her fist into his face when he was suddenly lifted up into the air.

"What are you doing, Barnes?"

"Trying to kiss a hot girl," Jeff said bluntly.

Casey looked even angrier than usual. He glanced over at the Nerd Herd desk, where several of the male employees—including some that weren't even scheduled to work that day—were huddled, watching the spectacle. He glanced back at Adriana.

"Hold on."

She nodded, and he stormed over to the Nerd Herd desk, still holding Jeff by the collar of his shirt. He threw him unceremoniously to the ground.

"What's going on?" he demanded.

The "men"—if you could really call them that—looked around at each other nervously before one timidly spoke up.

"W-we made a bet," he stammered.

"Bet?" Casey arched an eyebrow. "On?"

"O-on who could get a kiss from that girl f-first."

Casey's eyes narrowed.

"How much?"

Another round of nervous glances, followed by a timid answer.

"Ten bucks a person."

He stared at them.

"I want in."

Another round of glances, this time surprised. Lester was the first to speak.

"By all means," he said with a smirk. "Jeff was the last contestant, and no one was successful. So good luck."

Casey just grunted and walked away. When he reached the target, he leaned down and whispered something in her ear. She giggled.

"Did she just laugh?" Morgan asked, stunned. "She just laughed! How did he do that?"

The group continued to watch in stunned silence as Casey spoke to the target.

"A bet," Adriana laughed. "And let me guess—you want to win."

"A little extra cash never hurts," he smirked.

"Uh-huh," she laughed again. "And what do I get out of this?"

Not that she needed a reason to kiss him—or help him. She just couldn't resist playing sly.

"There's over $100 at stake. I think that's a pretty decent date."

"You think right," she giggled. "You win."

She leaned up to give him a soft peck. Her eyes widened in surprise, however, when his hand came up behind her head and she was pulled into a deep kiss. Her eyes slid closed, her arms winding around his neck. She was somewhat abashed to be kissing in such a way in front of an audience, but his kisses had a way of making her forget to care. He pulled away slowly, and she was mollified to see that he was as out of breath as she was.

"And here I thought you wouldn't be one for PDA," she whispered breathlessly.

"Depends on the situation," he replied, equally breathless. "In this case, I wanted to show them that you're mine."

"So you're the jealous type," she giggled.

"I am not!"

She laughed again at his defensive tone.

"I'm not," he insisted. "I just want to show off my girl."

"Hmm, ok," she smiled and stretched up for a quick peck.

He smiled at her and wrapped his arm around her waist. His smile morphed into a smirk as they made their way to the Nerd Herd desk, where the group was staring at them, clearly stunned.

"Next time you guys decide to bet on who can get a kiss," Adriana said with a smirk, "don't pick John's girlfriend."

"Did you just say…girlfriend?" Morgan gaped.

"Uh-huh!" she smiled happily, leaning into Casey's side.

"Not fair!" Morgan whined, handing Casey $10 and shuffling away.

"Casey, why are they all giving you money?" Chuck asked, coming up to the desk as the last loser schlepped away.

"He won the bet," Adriana grinned.

"You got involved in one of their bets?" Chuck stared at him in shock.

"I knew I could win."

"And now I'm worried," Chuck glanced at Adriana, hoping she would alleviate his fears.

"They made a bet on who could get a kiss from me first," she explained.

"I'm…not sure if I feel better or worse," Chuck sighed.

Adriana laughed.

"Well, as much fun as this has been, I'm actually here for a reason," she handed a laptop to Chuck. "I'm pretty sure I killed it good, but I thought if anyone could save its life, it'd be you, Chuckles."

"I'll see what I can do," he said, starting to check it over.

"Thanks, Chuckles!" She grinned and smacked a kiss on his cheek.

She suddenly caught a glimpse of Morgan staring at her. She looked up at Casey, slipping her hand in his.

"I wanna talk to Morgan."

He arched an eyebrow.

"Really?" he asked skeptically. "Why?"

"Because I've known him since we were kids and he doesn't seem to recognize me!" she pouted. "Will you come with me?"

He sighed and gave a slight nod. Her pout was immediately replaced by a smile, and she bounced over toward Morgan, dragging Casey behind her.

"Organ!" she called cheerfully.

Morgan's eyes widened and he stared at her, stunned and confused.

"Did you just…?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten me, Organ," she pouted dramatically. "After all we've been through! How could you forget December 29th, 1989?"

Morgan's brow furrowed.

"That's the day Dad…."

"And September 16th, 1996?"

"My first co-ed party. And my first k…." He trailed off as realization dawned on him. "Addie?"

She grinned and threw her arms around him.

"I knew you couldn't forget me, Organ!"

"Do you have to call me that?"

"Of course," she grinned. "It's a term of endearment! But I guess I could try just calling you 'Morgan.'"

"Thank you."

She giggled happily as she stepped back, sliding her hand back into Casey's.

"Ok, seriously, how did _this_ happen?" Morgan asked exasperatedly, gesturing toward the couple.

"I moved into the complex," she explained. "We met, I fell head-over-heels, and apparently he liked me enough to indulge me."

Casey shot her an amused look and pulled her closer. She smiled happily up at him, then laughed suddenly.

"Oh, gosh, you should've seen Ellie's face when she realized I liked him!"

Adriana rolled her eyes, and Morgan laughed.

"Like a five-year-old on Christmas morning?" he guessed.

"Exactly!"

"Yeah, that's what she looked like when Chuck started dating Sarah," he nodded. "You've met Sarah, right?"

"I love Sarah!"

"Addie?"

"'Sup, Chuckles?" Adriana turned around as Chuck approached.

"What did you do to your laptop?" he asked exasperatedly. "I've never seen one so…dead."

"Uh…I got mad…"

Chuck paled.

"I forgot about that temper of yours," he shuddered. "Well, it's as dead as it gets. There's nothing I can do. Sorry."

"It's cool," she smiled. "I figured that was the case. I'll just have to pick out a new one."

She flounced off to look at the computers, Casey in tow.

"He just lets her drag him around like that?" Morgan stared after them in shock.

"It's a new relationship," Chuck shrugged. "And, terrifying as he is, Casey's still a guy."

"Guess even he's a sucker for a cute girl."

"I've seen him treat some pretty hot girls like they were rocks, though."

"Hm, I guess it's just Adriana, then," Morgan said. "She does have a way of getting what she wants. There's just something about her that makes it hard to say no."

"You sound like you're in love with her."

"Gross!" Morgan made a disgusted face. "She's like my sister, you know that!"

"She was also your first kiss," Chuck pointed out.

"We were freshmen and we were playing spin-the-bottle!"

Chuck laughed, slapped Morgan on the back, and went back to work.

Morgan shuddered.

"Gross."


	8. Chapter 8

When Casey got back from work, Adriana was sitting at the fountain—that seemed to be her favorite spot—on her new laptop. She looked up as he walked through the gates and, realizing it was him, hopped up with a bright smile.

"Hey!" She grinned, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Hey," he hugged her tightly, suppressing a sigh.

She gave him a kiss hello and tilted her head as she often did, her smile never leaving her face.

"How was work?" she asked.

"Boring," he sighed. "How's your new laptop?"

"So far so good," she giggled.

"That's good."

"Yeah—" she cut off with a giggle as he kissed her again—lightly, their lips just barely brushing.

He smiled and kissed her a third time, his lips lingering over hers for several seconds. A small squeak sounded from behind him right as they pulled away.

"Hey, Ellie," Adriana laughed, peering past her boyfriend.

"Sorry! So Sorry!"

Ellie tried to rush past them, but Adriana grabbed her by the arm, stopping her.

"You're fine, Ellie," she grinned. "You have as much right to be here as we do."

"Yeah, but—"

"You're fine," she repeated.

"Ok," Ellie relaxed. "Can I ask a question, then?"

Adriana rolled her eyes at Ellie's excited, hopeful expression.

"Of course, Ellie."

"When did you get together?"

"Last night. That was our first date—you know, when you came home from work and saw us kissing on my doorstep, and you tried to run away without disturbing us, but we heard you?"

Adriana laughed again as her cousin's face turned pink.

"I am so, so sorry about that."

"It's fine, Ellie! We're the ones who were kissing outside, where anyone could walk by," she said, looking up at Casey. "Right, John?"

"Yeah," he nodded.

"Still, I feel bad," Ellie said, fiddling with her fingers as was her habit.

"Well, stop," Adriana grinned.

"Casey! Addie!"

Casey and Adriana turned as Sarah and Chuck came running through the gate.

"I'll leave you guys alone," Ellie said, waving goodbye and heading inside.

"Did you flash?" Casey asked.

Chuck nodded, gasping for air.

Adriana grinned.

"Mind if I tag along? I could go for some FroYo."

#

"Hey! Let me in!"

General Beckman shot the agents a look as Sarah opened the door. Adriana zipped down the stairs with a soda and a bowl of fruit and toppings—she'd foregone the actual yogurt completely—and General Beckman's expression turned to one of surprise.

"Adriana."

"Hey, Aunt Diane!" Adriana chirped, plopping down in a chair and ignoring the odd looks she got from her friends. "Wassap?"

"Thank you for your assistance a few weeks ago," General Beckman—"Aunt Diane," as Adriana called her—said.

"No problemo," Adriana grinned, popping a strawberry in her mouth. "Life would super-suck without these guys!"

"Indeed."

"And I'm bored," Adriana spun around in her chair, "so if it's cool with you I'm gonna tag along on the mission?"

"Of course."

"Yay!" Adriana giggled. "So what do we got?"

Adriana listened with uncharacteristic focus as General Beckman briefed them.

"I have one question for you, Adriana," General Beckman said after she was done.

"What's up?" Adriana tilted her head curiously.

"Are you and Major Casey dating?"

Casey tensed, although he tried to hide it. From the corner of her eye, Adriana saw him crossing his middle finger over his index—a nervous habit.

"Yep!"

He snapped his gaze to Adriana as she answered honestly, with a chipper, carefree tone.

"I see."

"How could you tell?" Chuck asked.

General Beckman glanced at him. She suppressed a sigh and decided to humor him with an answer.

"Adriana is a brilliant spy, but when she's not in the mission field, she makes no effort whatsoever to hide her emotions."

Adriana grinned and shrugged nonchalantly.

"It's easy to tell how she feels. As for Major Casey—well, I am the director of the NSA. I wouldn't be here if I couldn't see past a front."

"Oh," Chuck blinked.

General Beckman turned her attention to Casey.

"Major Casey."

He straightened to attention immediately.

"Ma'am?"

"You take care of her. She has a penchant for trouble."

He blinked.

"Yes, Ma'am."

The screen went dark, and the trio instantly turned to Adriana.

"What?" she asked innocently, eating a piece of mango.

"'Aunt Diane'?" Chuck was the first to speak.

"What?" she blinked. "She's my great-aunt."

They stared at her, and she rolled her eyes and jumped out of her chair.

"C'mon, punks, we have work to do!"

#

"Good job tonight, Chuck," Adriana smiled up at her cousin as they walked into the courtyard.

"Thanks, Addie," he smiled back at her. "I had no idea you were such a good shot."

A glint flashed in her eye that unnerved him. She smirked.

"Look up the word 'shinigami' when you get inside."

"Huh?" he blinked. "Uh, ok."

Chuck glanced very, very briefly at Casey and took a step closer to his apartment.

"I'll see you guys later!"

He ran off, leaving the couple alone, standing outside hand-in-hand.

"That was fun," Adriana grinned up at Casey as they walked toward her door.

"It was," he agreed. "And Bartowski's right about you being a good shot."

"That?" she arched an eyebrow. "That was nothin'!"

"Really."

"Really!" she nodded. "You don't believe me?"

He smirked, pinning her lightly against the door.

"And what if I don't?"

She smirked back at him.

"You'll just have to come to work with me sometime and see for yourself."

"When_ do_ you go to work?" he asked. "You seem to always be here."

"Well, being the boss," she grinned, "I don't actually go in very often. When I do, it's usually just to use the training course."

"Training course?"

She laughed at the way his face lit up at those words.

"That's right," she nodded. "Training course. You should come check it out sometime."

He grinned.

"I'll take you up on that."

"Good."

Conversation stalling, Casey took the opportunity to steal a kiss. Their adrenaline hadn't completed its course yet, and the kiss was the most intense one they'd shared yet. As his tongue slid through her mouth, her fingers slid into his hair. He pressed her back against her door, and suddenly she realized that her feet were no longer on the ground. Eventually they broke apart, and she stared into his eyes. The look in his eyes made her start to panic.

"I, uh, I should go," she whispered, blushing.

He set her back down on the ground, but his hands stayed on her hips.

"I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Of course," she nodded, smiling shyly up at him. "Tomorrow."

She leaned up and kissed him softly.

"Good night," she whispered against his lips.

"Night."


	9. Chapter 9

"Can I talk to you?"

Casey looked down at Morgan, who had cornered him in the break room. At least from Morgan's point of view he had cornered him. To Casey, they just happened to be alone in the break room.

"What?"

"It's about Addie."

Casey arched an eyebrow.

"What about her?"

Morgan hesitated for a split second before speaking.

"If you hurt her, I'll kill you."

Casey blinked, trying not to look too amused.

"Duly noted."

Morgan grabbed his arm as he went to walk away, and he looked back at him with a surprised expression.

"I'm serious."

Casey stared at him. He was shocked to realize that he _was _serious.

"Huh."

"Don't hurt her."

"I won't."

Morgan held the stare for several seconds before letting go of Casey's arm, convinced he was serious.

#

Casey glanced over his shoulder as a short whistle sounded behind him. Adriana ran up behind him, jumping on his back.

"Hey, babe," she giggled, kissing his cheek.

"Hey," he shoved the last DVD in its place and hooked his arms under her knees. "What's with the whistle?"

"I figured I should give you some warning," she said. "Suddenly jumping someone like you could be hazardous to my health."

He chuckled.

She smiled, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck. He let another soft chuckle slip, and she smiled happily up at him. They looked up right as Big Mike walked in. He stopped mid-step and stared at them.

She rested her chin on Casey's shoulder, staring right back at Big Mike with an innocent smile. After a minute, Big Mike blinked, shook his head, and continued to his office.

"That was funny," she giggled.

"Hm."

She laughed again at his response.

"Have you had lunch yet?" she asked, tilting her head.

"No."

"Theeennn do you wanna get some with me?" she asked, smiling up at him hopefully.

_As if I could say no to that smile._

He mentally kicked himself.

_You're getting soft!_

"Sure."

"Yay! You can let me down now."

He released her legs, and she dropped down off his back with a giggle. She ran out of the aisle. He called after her in an attempt to warn her.

"Hey—"

"Oof!"

She slammed into Morgan, sending both of them flying backwards. Casey caught her, holding her upright. Morgan stumbled back several steps before finally regaining his balance.

"Sorry, Organ!" she giggled sheepishly. "Uh, I mean, Morgan!"

She let out another sheepish laugh, and Morgan couldn't help but laugh, too.

"Don't worry about it, Addie. Where you off to in such a hurry!"

"Lunch!" she chirped happily.

"Oh, well have fun."

"We will! Thanks, Morgan!"

She hugged Morgan, grabbed Casey's hand, and bolted again.

#

"You and Grimes are really close."

It wasn't even a question, just a statement. Adriana smiled back at him, taking a sip of her soda.

"I've known him as long as Chuck has," she explained. "We all went to school together. In high school I would convince girls to go on dates with him."

Casey laughed, and she grinned.

"He's really awkward, but I've always thought it was endearing. Of course we have a sibling relationship, so I didn't have to deal with him flirting with me!" she laughed.

He rolled his eyes, and she laughed again. She stopped abruptly.

"Although, there was that party," she said thoughtfully.

His eyes snapped to her, suddenly intense and curious.

"What party?"

"Oh, it's not really a big deal," she smiled. "It was a long time ago—freshman year. We were playing spin the bottle, and this girl got Morgan and she totally flipped, like it was such a big deal to kiss him."

She shrugged, and he continued watching her intently.

"So I asked her if she'd kiss him if someone else did first, and she said yes. So I kissed him."

Casey's eyebrows shot up.

"You kissed Grimes?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I mean, it wasn't like intense or anything. It was actually really weird, like kissing a brother. But they weren't going to let him keep playing if no one would kiss him."

"Huh."

"Don't worry, you're a much better kisser," she said with a smirk.

"I'm not worried," he rolled his eyes again, "and I'm don't think being better than a 14-year-old Grimes means much."

"Yeah, not really," she laughed.

#

"I win! The cookie is mine!"

Lester's co-workers grumbled as he reached for the last cookie on the plate. Just before he grabbed it, a hand clamped around his wrist. He looked up, surprised to see Adriana standing there.

"What—"

"I'll fight you for it," she grinned.

He stared at her.

"What?"

"I said I'll fight you for it," she repeated.

"What are you even doing back here?"

"John gets off soon, so I'm waiting for him," she explained. "Now c'mon. I'll fight you for that cookie."

Lester stared at her, his eyes narrowing.

"You want to fight me?"

"That's right."

"Well, I usually don't fight girls," he said slowly.

"Don't do it, Lester," Morgan cut in. "Do _not_ do it!"

"I'll do it."

Morgan groaned; he was pretty sure Lester agreed just because he told him not to.

"It's your funeral," he muttered under his breath.

There was a skip in Adriana's step as the group moved out of the break room and outside, heading behind the store.

Morgan fidgeted nervously as Lester and Adriana faced each other. Adriana stood casually, completely relaxed, while Lester took on a fighting stance, bouncing around.

"C'mon, get ready!" he said.

"I am ready," she replied, examining her nails.

"What?"

"Come at me whenever you're ready."

She continued examining her nails nonchalantly. Lester stared at her for a minute before running at her. She stepped to the side and slammed an elbow into his back as he passed her—never taking her eyes off her nails.

Lester grunted in pain. He shook it off quickly, growled, and came at her again. Rinse and repeat—she sidestepped and elbowed him in the back again, continuing to play with her nails.

"Stop that!" he snapped. "Pay attention!"

She sighed and looked up at him with a bored expression. She stretched lazily and smirked. He came at her a third time.

She didn't side-step this time. She punched him in the face, brought both arms up to the left of his head, grabbed one shoulder and pulled him forward. She kneed him in the stomach. She reached an arm around the back of his head, grabbing his face and forcing him to turn around, his back to her. She pressed down on his nose with both hands, forcing his chin down to his chest and making him sit down. She pressed her knees into his back and shoulders. He struggled against her for a minute before giving up.

"I give! I give!"

She released him, hopping up to her feet. He stood, rubbing his nose.

"That hurt," he complained.

"I told you not to do it," Morgan said, shaking his head.

"You should've listened to Grimes," Casey said, walking up to the group.

"Oh, hey, John!" Adriana chirped happily.

"Adriana."

"How was I supposed to know she was that good?" Lester snapped.

"Oh, that was nothing," she grinned. "That was just basic Krav Maga—I learned that when I was like 15! In my very first Krav Maga class!"

Lester stared at her.

"Seriously?"

"Adriana's been doing martial arts since elementary school," Morgan said.

"She could've killed you," Casey said nonchalantly.

He was very amused by the way Lester paled at that sentence.

"Stop scaring him, John," Adriana scolded. "Just because I could doesn't mean I would."

Casey shrugged, unable to resist smirking at Lester's face.

Adriana rolled her eyes, grabbed his hand, and headed back inside. Casey couldn't help but laugh at her next sentence.

"I have to get my cookie before we leave!"


	10. Chapter 10

Adriana was practically skipping as she and Casey left the break room. They'd retrieved her cookie, and she was happily munching on the cookie in one hand, Casey's hand in her other. Casey watched her with an amused expression.

She looked up at him, tilting her head curiously.

"What?" she asked, licking at the yellow frosting and sprinkles that topped the cookie.

"You're like a child."

"Hm, I've been told that a time or two," she nodded slowly, thoughtfully, then looked back up at him, her eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Is it bad?"

"No."

Her face lit up, and she leaned into him happily as they walked out the door.

And right into Chuck.

"Wanna dance?" She joked, grinning at her cousin.

"Hey, Addie. Is that one of the cookies from the break room?"

"Yeah," she nodded. "I fought Lester for it."

"_You're_ the one that gave him the black eye?!"

"Uh, I guess?"

Chuck sighed.

"I need to get this to him," he said, holding up a shopping bag.

"Oh, for his eye?"

"Yeah."

"Tell him I said 'sorry'?" she asked, grinning sheepishly.

"Sure," Chuck rolled his eyes and walked into the store.

Adriana looked after him for a few seconds, her lips pursed, then turned back to her boyfriend with her usual smile.

"So, what should we do?"

#

"Grimes threatened me."

They'd left the movie theater and had been strolling along down the street, immersed in silence—the comfortable kind—when Casey suddenly spoke. Adriana looked up at him with a surprised expression.

"Morgan threatened you?"

"Yeah."

"What did he say?" she tilted her head curiously.

He looked sideways at her.

"That if I hurt you he'd kill me."

She laughed.

"He was serious."

She stopped laughing.

"You really think he meant it?" she asked with wide eyes.

"Oh, yeah."

"Geez, Morgan," she sighed. "Well, then again, I guess he's aware that you're dangerous. You're like three times his size."

Casey chuckled, and she smiled up at him.

"Sometimes he's more protective than my actual brothers," she giggled.

Casey smiled at her, brushing her hair back over her ear. There was a warmth in his eyes that she knew Chuck would do anything to see.

"There are a lot of people looking out for you."

She stared up at him with slightly wide eyes.

"There are a lot of people who care about you."

She squeezed his hand, smiling softly at him.

"I know," she stretched up, kissing his cheek. "There are people who care about you, too."

He tightened his grip on her hand, pulling her closer to him. She smiled happily as they walked.

She squealed suddenly, her eyes lighting up, and he laughed as she dragged him into a store.

#

Casey watched Adriana out of the corner of his eye. She was bouncing along happily beside him, looking like she was on top of the world. That was normal for her, but she was particularly happy after doing some shopping. All she'd bought was a few accessories and a bunch of candy, but she was like a dog with two tails.

_She really is just like a kid._

She looked over at him, catching his eye. She blinked, blushed, and tilted her head curiously.

"What is it?" she asked.

"You're easily pleased."

"Yeah, I know," she grinned. "But that's good, right? It's easy to keep me happy."

"Good news for me," he smirked at her, pulling her to his side and wrapping an arm around her.

She giggled and leaned into him.

"You know what makes me happiest?" she asked.

"What?"

"That I got to spend the day with you."

He quickly looked away from her, turning his attention ahead of them. She thought she saw a hint of a blush, but she couldn't be sure. He was _definitely_ smiling, though, and she grinned.

"Do you think before you speak?"

"Sometimes," she laughed. "Not often, unless I'm on a mission. Usually the missions I take on myself don't involve much socializing, anyway, though."

He looked at her curiously, and she leaned up to whisper in his ear.

"I usually do the sniping."

He arched an eyebrow, unsure whether or not he should really be surprised or not. It was uncharacteristic for her usual personality, but he'd seen her on a mission, seen her shoot a gun, and for that side of her it made perfect sense. He leaned down.

"Me, too," he whispered.

She grinned.

"Hey, speaking of sniping, what are you doing tomorrow?"

"What?" he blinked, looking at her oddly.

"Chuck and Morgan are coming over tomorrow and we're going to have a Call of Duty marathon. You should come help me kick their butts."

He arched an eyebrow.

"I don't play video games."

"I know, but it would be fun!"

"I don't know how."

"I'll teach you!" she grinned. "C'mon, please? It'll be fun!"

She latched onto his arm and leaned into him, looking up at him through her eyelashes. He sighed.

"All right."

She squealed, bouncing, and he laughed.

_So easily pleased._

He impulsively kissed the side of her head, and her eyes widened at the unexpected feeling. She giggled.

"That was an uncharacteristically cute thing to do," she said teasingly.

"Shut up."

#

_I can't believe I let her talk me into this._

_Not that I put up much of a fight…._

_Well, I can put up with those two idiots and a silly game if it makes her happy._

Casey sighed and knocked on Adriana's door. It opened, and he stepped inside, wondering which room she'd opened it from today.

"I'm in the kitchen!"

_That answers that question._

"Morning!" she chirped as he entered the kitchen.

She gave him a kiss. He laughed and wiped some flour from her cheek.

"You have flour on your face," he teased.

"I'm making cookies! And if you keep teasing me, you won't get any!"

"Why are you making cookies at 10am?"

"Because I have a lot to do before Chuck and Morgan get here! Like teaching you how to play a PlayStation, and—"

He kissed her, cutting her off. She giggled as he pulled away.

"Jerk."

He just smiled and kissed her again. Her arms slid around his neck, and he pressed her up against the fridge.

The oven timer went off.

He groaned as she ducked away, and she laughed. After pulling the cookies out and popping another batch in the oven, she grabbed his hand and pulled him into the living room. She jumped over the back of the couch and grabbed two controllers, handing one to him.

"Ready?" she grinned.

#

"Whoa," Chuck's eyes widened when he saw Casey. "You're really here."

Casey rolled his eyes and went back to join Adriana in the kitchen; her laptop was dead and she was cooking again, so he'd answered the door when Chuck and Morgan arrived.

"Addie told us he was coming," Morgan reminded him, sitting down on the couch.

"Yeah, but I didn't think he'd actually come."

Casey growled. Adriana paused, then set her spoon down. She smiled and leaned up to kiss his cheek.

"Thank you," she whispered in his ear.

He kissed her, and she giggled.

"Ready?" she asked.

"Almost," he grinned.

He pinned her against the counter and brought his lips to hers in a brief but passionate kiss. When he pulled away, she giggled, blushing.

"Now I need a minute," she giggled.

He laughed.

"C'mon," she laughed, grabbing his hand and leading him to the living room. "Move, Chuckles!"

Chuck sighed and stood up, moving to the recliner. Adriana took his spot in the middle, in between Morgan and Casey.

"I didn't know you played video games, Casey," Chuck said.

"I don't."

"Didn't," Adriana corrected him with a grin.


End file.
